Blog: buying jewellery online – insider guide

We think it’s time to embrace the word recycled. Recycled used to mean toilet paper – rough toilet paper! These days recycled means ideal, sustainable and noble.

As a company, we have been recycling fine jewellery since 2011. We buy items made by distinguished jewellery houses like Cartier and Tiffany & Co. We then service and polish the items so that they look new or nearly new. Our engagement rings are always sold in “Proposal Ready” condition which means what is says!

As we do not support manufacturing at its source – our items are already made and do not require much in the way of additional resources. We are practically carbon neutral!

Pre-owned, second hand, recycled used to mean second best. We think that idea has been turned upside down. As we all seek to make the planet a better place to live we must embrace recycling in all its forms whether it’s paper or jewellery.

We are proud to sell recycled fine jewellery and we think you’ll be proud to wear it.

Cartier as investment? Can we expect that our Cartier jewellery purchases will increase in value?

Since its founding in 1847 the Cartier name has been synonymous with luxury. "Cartier is the King of Jewellers and the Jewellers of Kings" said Edward VII, more than 100 years ago. A brand with such fine pedigree, standing the test of time for more than 150 years should be looked at with more seriousness than just a purveyor of fine jewellery.

We have found that since Bloomsbury Manor began in 2011 the price of pre owned Cartier jewellery has markedly increased. We are looking at rises of 20-30% particularly across collectors pieces such as Panthere, C de Cartier, Bamboo and Trinity. There are more modest increases from the more well known Love collection. The slightly rarer collector's pieces are more rare and demand is strong from people wanting to invest in a piece which is both wearable and likely to increase in value. The Panthere range has been fashionable since the 1930s, King Edward VIII's consort The Duchess of Windsor was a keen fan. The collection has never been out of fashion as far as we are aware! C de Cartier, Trinity and Bamboo have all evolved over time and customers are both interested in vintage and current designs.

With Global financial uncertainty becoming constant background noise we would counsel that a solid investment in a tried and tested asset class would be wise. With dwindling supply and demand increasing we foresee that any Cartier collector's piece bought now might be worth 20% more in 5 years.

How can anyone resist?

Here are some investment pieces.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are no guarantee of future growth.

Jean Schlumberger was arguably Tiffany & Co's most important designer. His talent with colour and enamel proved to be an instant hit with wealthy, well-heeled women. Many of his designs from the 1950s onwards are still in production today, with his 'Jackie' paillonne enamel bracelet being the most famous example. 

Perhaps more than any other of Tiffany & Co.'s designers, Jean Schlumberger pieces not only hold their value, but tend to increase in value over time. His jewellery is highly collectable amongst the well-healed connoisseur.

With a firey orange spessartite garnet weighing 6.71ct at its centre and an additional 2ct of scintillating white diamonds, in a classic Schlumberger setting, this piece is sure to delight the wearer or collector. Please see the ring here or call 0207 692 5103 for more details.  Please note that this ring is re-sizable by Tiffany & Co. Currently size 5 (J 1/2 to K).

Do you have a Cartier Engagement ring to sell? You have come to the right place. Bloomsbury Manor Ltd will offer you more than local jewellers and pawnbrokers (we offer 25% to 45% of original purchase price typically) and pay you directly into your bank account within 24 hrs of receipt. Lets explore why the alternatives might not work for you.

A local jeweller is unlikely to be a specialist in Cartier Engagement rings. As such they will probably offer you a price based on selling the engagement ring on to a specialist or holding on to the item for years which means they will offer you a low price. The pawnbroker is similar though they will not be working on the idea that they will hold the item. In both of these scenarios you will be achieving scrap or near scrap value for your precious jewel - not ideal! 

You could of course decide to sell the ring yourself. This is absolutely fine but a couple of things to consider:- You will be entering the world of the jewellery seller. This means that you should not expect to sell your ring immediately. There is a joke in the jewellery world "You sold something?" What this joke highlights is the fact that jewellery takes a long time to sell, even for "experts" like us. It might be even longer for non experts like you. If you are going to sell the ring yourself you might want to know that the average time to sale in jewellery is around 12-18 months. If you want to cash in earlier than that it might be worth speaking to us instead!

The other thing you might want to consider when thinking about selling your item yourself is safety and security. Do you really want people coming to your house to look at the ring or meeting up in a coffee bar? Most people to want to examine items before they buy and this could prove awkward for you. When selling to a limited company like ours you are able to come to our secure Central London offices which provide you with the safety and security you need when dealing with expensive jewellery. What's more we will transfer the money to you there and then and wait to make sure it's in your account. If you're thirsty we'll even offer you a drink!

Alternatively you may choose our postal service where we will send you an "Agreement to Purchase" via email so that you have a document that states what you will receive. We will then send you a fully paid and insured Special Delivery envelope for you to send your items back to us. As soon as we receive the items the money is paid into your account. Please note that when you submit items to us we will make you a concrete offer, not give you a range or charge you any fees. Some companies will offer a range so that you are enticed into thinking that you can negotiate the top price. That is not how it works! On inspection it is usually found that your item sits at the bottom of the range and your negotiating power is nil because you're not the only person with a Cartier Engagement Ring to sell.  Sorry to be blunt but we prefer to be straight. A price and an agreement will yours within 24-48 hrs of submission if you choose to sell to us.

You might be wondering why you only get 25% - 45% of the original purchase price. Here's the rub, once your item has left the Cartier store it is worth less. Just like a car. A large proportion of the price you originally paid goes towards Tiffany & Co's overheads. What you are left with is a beautiful ring with a beautiful stone but it's not going to be worth 75% of the original price in the secondary market. You need to be conscious of this fact. On the plus side, because it has been made by Cartier it does have brand value so at least with us you will not be offered scrap. Not by us anyway!

Are you ready to contact us about selling your Cartier Engagement Ring? Please use this form to provide us with the details. Alternatively you can call us on 0207 692 5103 or email info@bloomsburymanor.com for more information. Whatever you choose to do with your ring we wish you the best of luck.